Weird about Spring Break cruise...

[tammymacb]

I have to say I'm shocked that my Dream spring break 2012 cruise is 2 weeks away ( We board the day before Easter ) and availability is huge!

 

I've already gotten over $700 in SBCs and the price keeps dropping and most categories are still available.

 

I'm not knocking the Dream. I actually cruised on it once before and had a good time. But, I've never been on a Spring Break cruise before that wasn't sold out way in advance.

 

( and I've NEVER been on a cruise before that I could have booked 2 weeks out for significantly less money than 14 months out )

 

Do you all think it's all the recent cruise incidents? The still struggling economy? The size of the Dream making it harder to sell out?

 

I'm just curious.

[WendyVF]

We sail the same day on the Freedom and there are still quad and triple cabins available. It's an 8 day that we booked 6 weeks ago. At that time is was about $500 cheaper than the Dream and a better itinerary. Prices are still very low also.

[Aplmac]

Do you all think it's all the recent cruise incidents?

The still struggling economy? The size of the Dream making it harder to sell out?

 

I'm just curious.

I think it's the fact it's simply Spring Break!

 

So where are all the young Spring Breakers' bookings?

Wellll... Daddy clamped down I think, and made it clear his economy was not yet recovered enough

for Junior And Da Gang to be cruisin for Spring Break: it's a thought. :confused:

 

Not to worry though...

a week before sailing, adverts will go out for $99 cruises to fill the ship!

and you'll get your Spring Break cruise all right..

.

[SMSACE6]

LOL...JOB's comforter! And yes, that is more than likely what will happen. The ships always sail full!:)

[elcuchio24]

Well, it will be at the very end of spring break, so maybe that has something to do with it. Also a longer sail......

[chasinraynbowz]

ALSO.....

 

If you think about it, we have had a real mild winter. A lot of people book cruises to get out of the snow... but there isn't any. It would make sense that bookings are down.

[Guest LoveMyBoxer]

Have you priced out the air fare for that week??? It's outrageous, so maybe people are staying close to home.

[tammymacb]

Not to worry though...

a week before sailing, adverts will go out for $99 cruises to fill the ship!

and you'll get your Spring Break cruise all right..

.

 

It's ok with me...just keep taking money off. I have a $700 SBC already.

[going2cruz]

We've cruised spring, the week prior and a few times on easter,7 nights for the past eight years. This was the first year because of air fare that drastically restricted us from cruising. We have always been able to get airfare from weekend to weekend for under $200 round trip for each ticket. Not this year airfare was $470 - $525....not throwing my money away......We have to pull DS out of school this Thur and cruise from Thur 4 nights and now we will spend 3 nights on the Gulf coast in FLA....fly out Thur ...air fare was $160 round trip....three days later each ticket is another $300 to $400 per ticket.....I guess they get better gas mileage on the weekdays:cool:

[tammymacb]

Have you priced out the air fare for that week??? It's outrageous, so maybe people are staying close to home.

 

Unfortunately, I had to price airfare recently.

 

I live in SC and we drive down ( around 6-7 hours ) but my eldest DD was flying down from her home in Saratoga Springs, NY. She was flying on some small airline that closed up shop- like 2 weeks ago and she had to rebook airfare which was ridiculous. We ended up doing all kinds of weird searches and finding something for her, but it was still twice as expensive as she'd recently booked.

 

I'd never fly my family of 4 for the current asking rates, you're right about that.

[Aplmac]

It's ok with me...just keep taking money off. I have a $700 SBC already.

Just be thankful you're not booked on VICTORY out of San Juan, P.Rico

bcoz there are wild stories around about that kinda local crowd

wot takes advantage of $99 cruises to fill the ship!

 

Let's just say they lack couth... :cool:

.

[zqvol]

I have to say I'm shocked that my Dream spring break 2012 cruise is 2 weeks away ( We board the day before Easter ) and availability is huge!

 

I've already gotten over $700 in SBCs and the price keeps dropping and most categories are still available.

 

I'm not knocking the Dream. I actually cruised on it once before and had a good time. But, I've never been on a Spring Break cruise before that wasn't sold out way in advance.

 

( and I've NEVER been on a cruise before that I could have booked 2 weeks out for significantly less money than 14 months out )

 

Do you all think it's all the recent cruise incidents? The still struggling economy? The size of the Dream making it harder to sell out?

 

I'm just curious.

 

Spring break is pretty much over by Easter this year which explains the situation.

[going2cruz]

Just be thankful you're not booked on VICTORY out of San Juan, P.Rico

bcoz there are wild stories around about that kinda local crowd

wot takes advantage of $99 cruises to fill the ship!

 

Let's just say they lack couth... :cool:

 

 

 

CCL not the only cruise line that does this.....I'll never cruise from SJ for this reason.

[tammymacb]

I'm honestly shocked by the "Spring Break is over" sentiment.

 

I know college kids have spring break in March, but thought most other students were off either the week before or the week after Easter.

[Aplmac]

Spring break is pretty much over by Easter this year

-which explains the situation.

And killer airfares are the other half of the explanation, from what I'm gathering?

.

[tammymacb]

I would actually be afraid to sail with the $99 crowd...We've been happy on Carnival ( sailed 3 or 4 times on new ships ) but I avoid "cheap" cruises in general.

[going2cruz]

I'm honestly shocked by the "Spring Break is over" sentiment.

 

I know college kids have spring break in March, but thought most other students were off either the week before or the week after Easter.

 

Usually how it is and this year is no different than any other year from what I can see.

[Tbay-eh]

I think it is a combination of a number of factors:

 

Economy - money is tight/jobs are harder to get and harder to keep/Daddy can't afford to pay for non essentials/kids need the money for necessities etc

 

Weather - have had beautiful spring and summer like weather most places so not needing to get away from it/bad weather (tornado/hurricane/drought/flooding) gives people other things to spend hard earned money on

 

Horror stories - so many people talk/write/text/email etc about bad experiences on spring break cruises that people are staying away from them if they can (ps - personally I have had worse experiences with 40 somethings and 13 somethings than college kids)

 

Air fare - don't know about where you fly from but from Canada you have to sell your first born child to afford it/new baggage fees/connections/passport and document requirements etc.

 

Priorities in general - we (personally) have a lot of other expenses that need to be dealt with before we can cruise no matter how cheap it is such as food/utilites/health care.

 

Sorry - but I do tend to rant

[Aplmac]

I think it is a combination of a number of factors:

 

Economy - money is tight/jobs are harder to get and harder to keep/Daddy can't afford to pay for non essentials/kids need the money for necessities etc

 

Weather - have had beautiful spring and summer like weather most places so not needing to get away from it/bad weather (tornado/hurricane/drought/flooding) gives people other things to spend hard earned money on

 

Horror stories - so many people talk/write/text/email etc about bad experiences on spring break cruises that people are staying away from them if they can (ps - personally I have had worse experiences with 40 somethings and 13 somethings than college kids)

 

Air fare - don't know about where you fly from but from Canada you have to sell your first born child to afford it/new baggage fees/connections/passport and document requirements etc.

 

Priorities in general - we (personally) have a lot of other expenses that need to be dealt with before we can cruise no matter how cheap it is such as food/utilites/health care.

 

Sorry - but I do tend to rant

No need to apologise re. ranting: that was not a rant.

 

It was however a very good and realistic synopsis of the current situation!

.

[mousey]

Have you priced out the air fare for that week??? It's outrageous, so maybe people are staying close to home.

 

Exactly! We would love to be cruising a new itinerary in the Caribbean but because of the outrageous airfares we decided to cruise out of our home port and return to Mexico. Not our first choice, but a financial choice. We're going to have a blast no matter what, but it would be nice to enjoy a different itinerary.

[Texarribean Chick]

I'm honestly shocked by the "Spring Break is over" sentiment.

 

I know college kids have spring break in March, but thought most other students were off either the week before or the week after Easter.

Spring Break is "over" in Texas. ALL schools were off in March. My area in particular was March 12th-16th.

 

We do get off for Easter Holiday (Good Friday and the Monday following Easter Sunday).